intro

[pinkprismstaff]

You don't remember getting knocked out.

That's the best descriptor for the feeling you experience before you wake up. There's a glittering absence of color to your field of vision, and a sensation that you aren't yourself, you aren't anything in particular. Abruptly, unpleasantly, you wake up in a strange, sunny location. Where that is might vary--laying in a sun chair on the pool deck, draped over the skee-ball machine in the arcade, face down in a cart in the laundry room....or just stretched out in the long, long expanse of sand surrounding the island.

There doesn't seem to be anyone else here, aside from the others who have woken up and have as little clue where they might be as you do. It's a silent, empty island filled with a lot of questions and few clear answers. What you can conclude are a few things: that you don't get hungry or tired, that any wounds you have don't seem to either heal or worsen, and leaving the island doesn't seem to be possible.

Maybe it would be good to meet with the others who have woken up?

Comments

[shoveltalks]

( kurumi remembers going to sleep. they'd gotten into randal corporation's main building finally- except... she had trouble climbing the ladder. they had to pull her up in a makeshift harness. she does not remember coming to a beach-side pool, however.

amongst the neon pool deck furniture, kurumi sits up slowly, shovel in hand- that's still there, at least- and looks around in a daze. the chlorine and blood both hit her nose strongly and she recoils a bit but... ultimately? this isn't new to her at all.

the silence, however, is.

well.

first thing's first. find the others. which is where you may catch kurumi running in stumbled steps across the island (WHEN did she get onto an island!!!!) calling out multiple names- )

Yuki! Miki! Rii-san! ... Asoi-san! Where is everyone!?

( the fact that there's more blood everywhere- toppled chairs and tables, food left out- it's all so familiar in the worst way, the way she's become acclimated to with a heavy pit in her stomach. but eventually she has to sit down at the restaurant, shovel at her side and head in her hands. did she push it too much?

thankfully, it looks like she's not entirely alone on murder island. she looks up and stares for a moment when she hears someone approach before she simply smiles cheerfully. )

Yo! Weird place, huh? I don't suppose you've seen any others yet...?

[compendiem]

...Yo.

[ Minato pulls himself away from the doorway after a moment, like he has to be snapped out of a daydream before he realizes he's being addressed, and approaches Kurumi. Just sort of standing there in front of her instead of taking a seat. ]

Not yet. [ ... ] Nice shovel.

[ It's nostalgic. Wandering halls covered in blood, holding a bus stop sign or a mop. Whatever works, really. ]

[shoveltalks]

Mm, it's my trusty sidekick!

( normal things to say about a shovel! though she deflates slightly at his answer.

even if she kind of expected it. )

I was afraid of that though. ... Do you remember coming here at all? Like... um. What's the last thing you remember?

( his uniform's clean- maybe he was at school before the outbreak too? but he's maintained it pretty well. )

[compendiem]

[ missing his trusty sidekick... ]

Um... [ last thing he remembers... ]

I was at school. Went up to the roof... took a nap.

[ and didn't think he was going to wake up from it. ]

[shoveltalks]

--And the outbreak...?

( she absolutely thinks their situation is the same. )

[compendiem]

[ Outbreak? Ah, she means Apathy Syndrome ]

People should be recovering now... I think. It's fine, now.

[shoveltalks]

... Eh?

( kurumi just stares like "bro................?" )

You don't just get better from being dead- a-and a cure hasn't been developed yet.

( because she's the cure. )

[reresurrected]

[The blood is very definitely concerning indeed, and the fact that Baldr has already been through this once before isn't doing much to assuage his fears about this. He knows what random blood all over the place means when you suddenly wake up in an unfamiliar place, okay.

The fact that at least one other person is alive here is a good sign, though, but this girl definitely looks like she's going through it as she stumbles around looking for what seem to be friends of hers.

First things first:]

Are you all right? You aren't injured, are you?

[shoveltalks]

Huh-?

( uh


well. there's a lot she's unpacking all at once and she's not sure how to feel about it. an adult- not a college student but an actual adult, reaching out. her own secrets. her health gradually decaying-

kurumi falters before smiling cheerfully, waving one hand. )

I-I just had a bad fever recently, and it's left me tired, that's all.

[reresurrected]

[HMM NOT SURE IF BELIEVE. He knows a forced smile when he sees one, but he also knows better than to pry right off the bat, especially in a situation like this. (Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if that alone was a large part of the reason for the forcing it right there...)]

I see. It would be better to take things slowly if you still aren't feeling well. You're looking for acquaintances of yours, I assume? I'll go with you-- we might have better luck with two of us searching.

[And also, with that amount of blood spattered around, the fact that he's got two swords might end up coming in handy...]

I'm Baldr. It's a pleasure to meet you.

[shoveltalks]

( why not believe this horribly weakened child with a blatantly sharpened shovel? she is the epitome of trustworthiness.

but kurumi nods, gripping the wooden handle tight. )

I am, yeah- we were together before all this and... well. We weren't in a great place and I'm the best fighter.

( even if they are trying to step up now. )

I'm Kurumi Ebisuzawa. It's nice to meet you, Baldr-san.

( notably, her pronunciation's perfect. )

[reresurrected]

Kurumi-san, then.

[The honorific flows naturally for him too, and he smiles. His eyebrow may go up just the tiniest bit when he gets a good look at that shovel, but honestly, after everything he's seen, he can't even find that much strange.]

You were fighting something? Have you seen any more of them here? Or do you mean before you woke up here?

[He's assuming things were much the same for her in that sense as they were for him.]

[shoveltalks]

Not here, but... the chaos really suits the situation. It's...

( kurumi pauses, looking at the sand before she looks back to baldr. )

Do you really not know about the outbreak?

not far from the pool

[oceanicbutterfly]

The question is, where are we.

[Karen's tone doesn't actually make that sound like a question! She is All Business.]

[shoveltalks]

Ah-

( did she go in a circle...? after a moment, kurumi lets herself collapse onto a deck chair. it's soft and plush... )

I mean, yeah. I just... I was someplace pretty secure, and I don't get why only I'd be here...

[oceanicbutterfly]

[...

You know what, she's going to sit on a deck chair too. They look comfortable.

Someplace secure, huh?]

Does the phrase "Euclid class" mean anything to you?

[shoveltalks]

Um. No. Is it... Greek?

( she guessed that entirely. )

[oceanicbutterfly]

Yes, he was an ancient Greek mathematician who more or less invented geometry.

[More to the point, Karen's suspicion has been confirmed incorrect, which oddly comes as a relief even though it kind of makes things more complicated.]

In any case, I'm Minazuki Karen.

[shoveltalks]

So it's his fault...

( kurumi is a clever girl. but she is also... a jock. but she shakes off the joke just as quickly. there's more pressing matters. )

... Ebisuzawa Kurumi. Its... nice to meet you. Genuinely. It's just all really weird-

restaurant

[howveryglib]

[god damn that sure is a lot of blood, huh. he does at least snap at attention at being addressed.]

I have seen others, though no one with whom I am familiar. I suppose that is to be expected given the circumstances.

[shoveltalks]

You think so...?

( kurumi's quiet. ... in all honesty, she is a viable target. but...

... )

Has this happened to you before?

[howveryglib]

Nothing like this, no, but I was taken from far inland to this place. I would have expected my companions to have found me by now if they had also been brought here.

[shoveltalks]

Yeah, me too... the girls are stubborn, and Yuki'd have too much fun with the floaties and wanna share them with everyone.

[howveryglib]

[He nods. There’s no need to get into Valdeaulin’s arrangement with him with a random teenager who’s probably confused as hell.]

If the intent is to confuse—which seems likely enough—it would be far better to ensure that none of us know each other ahead of time.

[shoveltalks]

Welllll, I'm confused! But I think so long as we keep calm and don't panic, we can get through this, yeah?

( she smiles brightly- it wouldn't be surprising if he brushed it off as teen idealism. )